‘I’ve made peace with my master’

“DON’T WORRY mom, I’ve made peace with my master.” These were the dying words of Marvin Jeremiah Lee moments before he passed away at the Arima Health Facility of pneumonia on Sunday morning.

Lee, the former national Under-20 football captain, was laid to rest at the Tunapuna Cemetery following a two-and-a-half hour long open-air ceremony at the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence, Macoya yesterday. Sports Minister Roger Boynes, in his address to the gathering estimated at 2,000, revealed Lee’s final statement while he (Boynes) spoke at length about Lee’s influence in sport in Trinidad and Tobago.

The 21-year-old was paralysed from the neck down after sustaining an injury on March 20, 2001 during a CONCACAF Under-20 World Cup qualifier against the United States, also at the Centre of Excellence. Those gathered under the stands were touched by the strength of Lee’s mother Dawn throughout the service, who indicated that she “thanked God for his accident because my life has now changed.” “I’m not sad, I’m glad,” she continued, adding that “Marvin never complained about his injury and never blamed anyone.” At the conclusion of her five-minute testimony she noted, “thank you, Marvin. You’ve taught me to be patient, to love, to be humble. May your soul rest in peace, until we meet again.”

Conducting the service were Pastor Peter Regis and Pastor Marlon Alvarez of the New Beginning Ministries in Wallerfield, who highlighted Lee’s willingness to become a Christian following his ill-fated injury and his desire to be an influence for all around him. Among the many dignitaries in attendance were president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) Oliver Camps, national football team technical director Hannibal Najjar and assistant Anthony Barrington, Arima Mayor Elvin Edwards, Culture and Tourism Minister Pennelope Beckles and deputy Eddie Hart, Senator Arnim Smith and former Government Minister Roy Augustus.

Also present were members of the various national teams, including those who played with Lee during the 2001 tournament, members of the Defence Force and Joe Public youth teams, students of Belmont Junior and Tranquillity Government Secondary Schools (his alma maters) and members of the TTFF, as well as Nkosi Blackman, the former national Under-17 striker who has fully recovered from head injuries which he suffered as a result of a fatal vehicular accident in Point Fortin on Carnival Sunday 2002. Lee leaves to mourn his mother Dawn, 15-year-old sister Mesa and eight-year-old brother Miguel.